fonv 

#S3l 


now  israei  was 
Conf  Pam  12mo  #592 


No.  79. 

HOW  ISRAEL  WAS  DELIVERED  FROMTWO 
CRUEL  INVASIONS. 


1,  INVASION  OF  THE  MOABITES  AND  OTHERS, 

2  Chron.  chap.  20,  to  verse  SI. 

It  came  to  pass  after  this  also,  that  the  children  of  Moab, 
and  the  children  of  Amnion,  and  with  them,  other  beside  the 
Ammonites,  came  against  Jehosbaphat  to  battle.  Then  there 
.came  some  that  told  JeKbshaphat,  saying,  There  cometh  a 
great  multitude  against  thee  from  beyond  the  seaon-this  side 
Syria,  and  behold  they  be  in  Hazazon-Tamar,  which  ia  En- 
gedi.  And  Jehoshaphat  feared,  and  set  himself  to  seek  the 
Lord,  and  proclaimed  a  fast  throughout  all  Judah.  And  Ju- 
dah  gathered  themselves  together  to  aakrhefp  of  the  Lord: 
even  out  of  all  the  cities  of  Judah  they  came  to  seek  the 
Lord. 

And  Jehoshaphat  stood  in  the  congregation  of  Judah  and 
Jerusalem,  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  before  the  new  court, 
and  said,  0  Lord  God  of  our  fathers,  art  not  thou  God  in 
heaven?  and  rulest  not  thou  over  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
heathen  ?  and  in  thy  hand  is  there  not  power  and  might,  so 
that  none  is  able  to  withstand  thee?    Art  not  thou  our  God, 


who^didst  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  this  land  before  thy 
people  Israel,  and  gavest  it  to  the  seed  of  Abraham  thy  friend 
forever  ?  And  they  dwelt  therein,  and  have  built  thee  a 
sanctuary  therein  for  thy  name,  sayirig,  If,  when  evil  com- 
eth  upon  us,  as  the  sword,  judgment,  or  pestilence,  or  famine, 
we  stand  before  this  house,  and  in  thy  presence  (for  thy 
name  is  in  this  house)  and  cry  unto  thee  in  our  affliction^ 
then  thou  wilt  hear  and  help.  And  now  behold,  the  children 
of  Amnion,  and  Moab,  and  mount  Seir,  whom  thou  wouldst 
not  let  Israel  invade,  when  they  came  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  but  they  turned  from  them,  and  destroyed  them  not : 
behold,  I  say,  how  they  reward  us,  to  come  to  cast  us  out  of 
thy  posession,  which  thou  hast  given  us  to  inherit.  0  our 
God,  wilt  thou  not  judge  them?  for  we  have  no  might  against 
this  great  oompany  that  cometh  against  us?  neither  know 
we  what  to  do :  but  our  eyes  are  upon  thee.  And  all  Judah 
stood  before  the  Lord,  with  their  little  ones,  their  wives  and 
their  children. 

Then  upon  Jahaziel  the  son  of  Zachariah,  the  son  ol 
TSenaiah,  the  son  of  Jeiel,  the  son  of  Mattaniah,  a  Levite 
of  the  sons  of  Asaph,  came  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  in 
the  midst  of  the  congregation :  and  he  said,  Hearken 
ye,  all  Judah,  and  ye  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  thou 
king  Jehoshaphat,  Thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you  ;  Be  not 
afraid  nor  dismayed  by  reason  of  this  great  multitude 
for  the  battle  is  not  yours  but  God's.  To-morrow  go  ye  down 
against  them  :  behold,  they  come  up  by  the  cliff  of  Ziz,  and 
ye  shall  find  them  at  the  end  of  the  brook,  before  the  wilder- 
ness of  Jeruel.  Ye  shall  not  need  to  fight  in  th;s  battle;  set 
yourselves,  stand  ye  still,  and  see  the  salvation  of  the 
Lord  with  you,  O  Judah  and  Jerusalem  ;  fear  not  nor  be  die- 


3. 

mayed ;  to-morrow  go  out  against  them,  for  the  Lord  will  be 
with  you.  And  Jehoshaphat  bowed  his  head  with  his  face 
to  the  ground  :  and  all  Judah,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Je- 
rusalem, fell  before  the  Lord,  worshipping  the  Lord.  And 
the  Levites,  of  tho  children  of  the  Kohathites,  and  of  the 
children  of  the  Korhites,  stood  up  to  praise  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel,  with  a  loud  voice  en  high. 

And  they  rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  forth  into 
the  wilerness  of  Tekoa :  and  as  they  went  forth,  Jehoshaphat 
stood  and  said,  Hear  me,  0  Judah,  and  ye  inhabitant  of  Je- 
rusalem ;  Believe  in  the  Lord  yoyr  God,  so  shall  ye  be  es- 
tablished ;  believe  his  prophets,  so  shall  ye  prosper.  And 
when  ha  had  consulted  with  the  people,  he^appointed  Singers 
unto  the  Lord,  and  that  should  praise  the  beauty  of  holiuess, 
as  they  went  out  before  the  army  ;  and  to  say,  Praise  the 
Lord,  for  his  mercy  endureth  forever. 

And  when  they  began  to  sing  and  to  praise,  the  Lord  set 
ambushments  against  the  children  of  Ammon,  Moab,  and 
mount  Seir,  which  were  come  against  Judah,  and  they  were 
smitten.  For  the  children  of  Ammon  and  Moab,  stood  up 
against  the  inhabitants  of  mount  Seir,  utterly  to  slay  and  de- 
stroy them  :  and  when  they  had  made  an  end  ot .  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Seir,  every  one  helped  to  destroy  another.  And  when 
Judah  came  towards  the  watch-tower  in  the  wilderness,  they 
looked  unto  the  multitude,  and  behold,  they  were  dead  bodies 
fallen  to  the  earth,  and  none  escaped.  And  when  Jehosha- 
phat and  his  people  came  to  take  away  the  spoil  of  them, 
they  found  among  them  in  abundance  both  riches  with  the 
dead  bodies,  and  precious  jewels  which  they  stripped  off  tor 
themselves  more  than  they  could  carry  away  :  and  they 
were  three  days  in  gathering  of  the  spoil,  it  was  so  much. 


4. 

And  on  the  fourth  day  as  they  assembled  themselves  in  the 
valley  of  Berachah  :  for  there  they  blessed  the  Lord :  there- 
fore the  name  of  the  same  place  was  callen  the  valley  of  Be- 
rachah unto  this  day.  Then  they  returned,  every  man  of 
Judah  and  Jerusalem,  and  Jehoehaphat  in  the  forefront  of 
thsm,  to  go  again  to  Jerusalem  with  joy  ;  for  the  Lord  had 
made  them  to  rejoice  over  their  enemies.  And  they  came  to 
Jerusalem  with  psalteries,  and  harps,  and  trumpets  unto  the 
house  of  the  Lord.  And  the  fear  of  God  was  on  all  the 
kingdoms  of  those  countries,  when  they  had  heard  that  the 
Lord  fought  against  the  enemies  of  Israel.  So  the  realm  of 
Jehoshaphat  was  quiet;  for  his  God  gave  him  rest  round 
about.  » 


2.  INVASION  BY  SENNACHERIB,  KING  OF  ASSYRIA, 

2  Chren.  chap.  32,  to  verse  24. 
After  these  things  and  the  establishment  thereof,  Sennache- 
rib, king  of  Assyria,  came  and  entered  into  Judah,  and  en- 
camped against  the  fenced  cities,  and  thought  to  win  them 
for  himself.  And  when  Hezekiah  saw  that  Sennacherib  was 
come,  and  that  he  was  purposed  to  fight  against  Jerusalem, 
he  took  counsel  with  his  princes,  and  his  mighty  men,  to 
stop  the  waters  of  the  fountains,  which  were  without  the  city 
and  they  did  help  him.  So  there  was  gathered  much  people 
together,  who  stopped  all  the  fountains,  and  the  brook  that 
ran  through  the  midst  of  the  land,  saying,  Why  should  the 
kings  *  of  Assyria  come  and'  find  much  water?  Also  he 
strengthened  himself,  and  built  up  all  the  wall  that  was  bro- 
ken, and  raised  it  up  to  the  towers,  and  another  wall  without, 
and  repaired  MUlo  w  the  city  of  David,  and  made  darts   and 


Aields  in  abundance.  And  he  set  captains  of  war  over  the 
people,  and  gathered  them  together  to  him  in  the  street  of 
the  gate  of  the  city,  and  spake  comfortably  to  them,  saying : 
Be  strong  and  courageous,  be  not  afraid  nor  dismayed  for 
the  king  of  Assyria,  nor  for  all  the  multitude  that  is  with 
him  :  for  there  be  more  with  us  than  with  him.  With  him  is 
an  arm  of  flesh,  but  with  us  is  the  Lord  our  God  to  help  us, 
and  to  fight  our  battles.  And  the  people  rested  themselves 
upon  the  words  of  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah. 

After  this  did  Sennacherib,  king  of  Assyria,  send  his  ser- 
vants to  Jerusalem  (but  he  himself  laid  aeirje  against  Lachish, 
and  all  his  power  with  him)  unto  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah, 
and  unto  all  Judah  that  icerc  at  Jerusalem,  saying,  Thus  saith 
Sennacherib,  king  of  Assyria,  Whereon  do  ye  trust,  that  ye 
abide  in  the  seige  in  Jerusalem?  Doth  not  Hezekiah  per- 
suade you  to  give  over  yourselves  to  die  by  iamine  and  by 
thirst;  saying,  The  Lord  our  God  shall  deliver  us  out  of  the 
harrd  of  the  king  of  Assyria?  Hath  not  the  same  Hezekiah 
taken  away  his  high  places,  and  his  altars,  and  commanded 
Judah  and  Jerusalem,  saying  :  Ye  shall  worship  before  one 
altar,  and  burn  incense  upon  it?  Know  ye  not  what  I  and 
my  fathers  have  done  unto  all  the  people  of  other  lands  ?  were 
the  gods  of  the  nations  of  those  lands  any  ways  able  to  deliver 
their  lands  out  Of  my  hand/  Who  ivas  there  among  all  the 
gods  of  those  nations,. that  my  lathers  utterly  destroyed,  that 
could  deliver  his  people  out  of  my  hand,  that  your  God  should 
be  able  to  deliver  you  out  of  my  hand?  Now  therefore  let 
not  Hezekiah  deceive  you,  nor  persude  you  on  this  manner, 
neither  yet  believe  him  :  for  no  god  of  any  nation  or  kingdom 
was  able  to  deliver  his  people  out  of  my  hand,  and  out  of 
the  hand  of  mv  fathers  ;  how  much  less  shall  vour  God  de- 


G. 

Uver  you  out  of  mine  hand?  And  his  servants  spake  yet 
more  against  the  Lord  God,  and  against  his  servant  Heze- 
kiah.  He  wrote  also  letters,  to  rail  on  the  Lord  God  of  Israel, 
and  to  speak  against  him,  saying,  As  the  gods  of  the  nations 
of  other  Jands  have  not  delivered  their  people  out  of  my 
hand:  so  shall  not  the  God  of  Hezekiah  deliver  his  out  of 
my  hand.  Then  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice  in  the  Jews' 
speech  unto  the  people  of  Jerusalem  that  were  onthe  wall,  to 
affright  them,  and  to  trouble  them,  that  they  might  take  the 
city.  ,  And  they  spake  against  the  God  of  Jerusalem,  as 
against,  the  gods  of  the  pe©"ple  of  the  earth  which  were  the 
work  of  the  hands  of  man.  For  this  cause  Hezekiah  the 
king,  and  the  Prophet  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz,  prayed  and 
cried  to  heaven. 

And  the  Lord  sent  an  Angel  which  cut  off  all  the  mighty 
men  of  valor,  and  the  leaders  and  captains  in  the  camp  of 
the  king  of  Assyria:  so  he  returned  with  shame  of  face  to 
his  own  land.  And~when  he  was  come  into  the  house  of  his 
god,  they  that  came  forth  of  his  own  bowels,  slew  him  there 
with  the  sword.  Thus  the  Lord  saved  Hezekiah,  and  the  in- 
habitants of  Jerusalem,  from  the  hand  of  Sennacherib,  the 
king  of  Assyria,  and  from  the  hand  of  all  others,  and  guided 
them  on  every  side.  And  many  brought  gifts  unto  the  Lord 
to  Jerusalem,  and  presents  to  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah:  so 
that  he  was  magnified  in  the  sightof  all  nations,  fro.n  thence- 
forth. 


QUESTIONS. 

What  did  Jehoshaphat  when  he  was  told  of  the  great 
army  that  was  coming  against  him  ?  From  whom  did  he 
seek  help?  Why?  What  did  the  people  of  Judah?  Can 
we  expect  to  prosper  without  trusting  in  the  Lord?  Why 
not  ?  '  Do  you  put  your  trust  in  him  ? 

Did  Hezekiah  prepare  to  defend  Jerusalem  against  Senna- 
cherib? What  did  he?  What  said  he  to  the  people? — 
Why  were  there  more  with  him  than  with  the  enemy?  Have 
we  more  with  us  than  our  enemies  ?      Why  do  you  think  so  i 


No.  80. 


THE  CAPTAIN  OF  SALVATION. 


BY  REV.  P.  A.  PENICK,  OF  N.  G 


It  is  the  glory  and  .safety  of  a  people,  in  times  of  war 
to  honor  and  obey  their  legitimate  and  trust-worthy  offi- 
cers. Jesus  Christ  is  commissioned  from  Heaven  as  the 
Captain  ef  Salvation,  in  the  bitterest  war  that  was  ever 
waged  on  this  earth.  "For  we  wrestle, not  against  flesh  and 
blood,  but  against  principalities,  against  powers,  against 
the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  against  spiritual 
wickedness  in  high  places."  His  jurisdiction  includes, 
not  only  all  civilians,  but  all  officers  as  well  as  privates  in 
the  army,  whether  of  invasion  or  of  delence.  Christ, 
therefore,  is  legimately  the  trust-worthy  Captain  of  Sal 
vation  for  us  all. 

Now  a  word  to  soldiers,  whether  officers  or  privates,  in 
our  noble  army  of  defence.  Were  you  members  of  the 
Christian  Church  before  entering  the  army  ?  If  so.  Christ 
is  confessedly  your  Captain.  You  have  enlisted  under  his 
banner.  You  are  pledged  to  follow  him.  He  is  drilling 
you  for,  and  leading  you  in  the  conflict  against  sin  and  the 
devil — against  the  world  and  your  corrupt  nature — a  host 
of  deadly  enemies  to  your  souls.  He  commands  you  to 
follow  him,  through  evil  and  good  report,  to  victory  and 
to  glory.  To  do  this,  you  must  place  implicit  confidence 
in  Him,  closely  imitate  his  example,  stand  constantly  by 
his  side,  and  promptly  execute  his   commands.     As  sol- 


diers  of  the  cross,  whether  in  the  army  or  in  domestic 
life,  you  are  daily  to  deny  yourselves,  take  up  your  cross 
and  follow  Chris^  your  Captain — yea,  constantly  to  watch 
and  pray  and  fight  against  fcemptatioa  and  sin — walking 
circumspectly  before  Him  and  all  around  you,  in  fear  and 
godliness.     But,  instead  of  tl  you  ceased,  in  the 

bustle  of  camp  life,  to  watch  and  follow  Christ  ? 

Have  you  lost  sight   of  your  lin,    and.    deserted  his 

colors  and  fallen  into   the    r-  "Hy  around 

you?     If  so,  you  have  back-slide'a    fi 
graced  yourselves,  dishonored   yOiir    C  no  se- 

rious injury  to  your  ungodly  associates.  ^red- 

ly traitors  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  th 
of  his  wrath.     Nevertheless,  He    calls   y  a  to 

your  allegiance  to  Him,  and  offers  you  pardon  an  ,:  i 
tion,. upon  your  immediate  and  penitential  return, 
you  return  f 

But  are  there  not  many  of  you  who  have  never  enlist- 
ed under  the  banner  of  Christ  ?  The  war  of  conquest 
against  your  souls  is  raging  around  you.  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Prince  of  Peace  as  well  as  the  Captain  of  Salvation, 
says  to  you :  "Follow  me."  He  offers  to  recruit  you  into  his 
service.  He  forces  none — will  have  none  but  volunteers. 
Enlist  under  Him,  and  He  will  train  you  for  His  service, 
accompany  you  through  the  whole  campaign,  give  you  a 
rich  bounty  of  Grace,  make  you  more  than  conquerers. 
and  then  crown  you  with  crowns  of  victory.  Will  you 
give  Him  your  name,  and  with  it — your  heart  ? 


Hollinger  Corp. 
PH8.5 


